The Dilemma
by Morning and Evening Star
Summary: Jacob Black will never be able to be with Bella Swan. The written word of Fate has determined that werewolves and vampires can never be united. Therefore, Fate has set a new challenge before Jacob: to gain the ability to see his life through another's eyes. A pair of blue unseeing eyes.
1. Chapter 1: The Dilemma

Chapter One: The Dilemma

The curious thing about perspective is that it is wholly unique to each and every human being. Perspective is made up of every consideration, life experience, and opinion a person has. Therefore, no person can truly step inside another's shoes and view a situation through someone else's perspective; it is simply impossible.

However, every person attempts to empathize and understand another's viewpoint at some point in their lives. This process is the great dilemma humanity faces: to exist autonomously and yet dependently.

A teenager must go through the terrible ordeal of puberty in order to become an adult both biologically and metaphorically. As such, these adolescents face a great common fear of loneliness, of feeling that no one could possibly understand the things they are going through. They wish to simultaneously free themselves of their shackles created by their families and yet commiserate with others of the victimization they have gone through. In essence, these teenagers want both independence and the comfort of a shield against the world.

Consequently, the problem presents an ironic twist of fate: to be unique and to be "normal" at the same time. A person's humanity thus allows him to be a completely independent one-of-a-kind creation whilst still experiencing a feeling that so many others have felt before.

This connection is sometimes lost in the communication of the world, but simply put into writing instead. It is the reason so many respect and honor the written word for it enables one human being to project an entire life into a single work.

A story is not just a string of sentences with a common bond, but a thread which weaves one life to countless others. Words are the catalyst for a perspective to be translated to another person. Thus, the impossible is made possible: empathy is realized and the world can function in its paradox of dependence and independence.

Jacob Black and Bella Swan are two such beings that simultaneously coexist and yet, push each other away. Their life stories are connected through the written word of the ancient histories. It is the very reason for their existence.

Long before Jacob and Bella's births, fate aligned the stars so that both werewolves and the vampires would be created. Neither creature can exist without the other; neither can achieve peace without the other. Both must live to extinguish the evil which they have deemed through their perspectives.

Werewolves and vampires were never compatible and never will be. Bella Swan, despite her humanity, aligns with the vampires' perspective, thus creating an eternal rift between herself and the werewolf she believes to be her one true friend.

Jacob Black and Bella Swan will always live for each other, but they will never be able to live with each other.

And so it is determined through the written word.


	2. Chapter 2: The Understanding

Chapter Two: The Understanding

A petite young woman gazed out of the rain drenched window of the cab, relaxing against the vinyl seats. The drive had been tense and arduous despite the tranquil environment of the countryside flashing by in rapid succession. Amelia Danielson was the cause of the young woman's discomfort; a silent yet resentful younger sister.

"Are you going to ever speak to me again?" The older sister asked, not moving away from the window.

A squeak of the vinyl answered clearly enough. There would be no conversation at least until they reached their destination. It was a childish move, but effective in its task.

Emma Danielson let out a deep sigh, knowing Amelia still would not forgive her for her previous outburst. It had been over a petty topic, but the last few months had taken a toll on Emma, resulting in pent-up emotion to be released at unexpected times. This wasn't the first time this had happened and it always resulted in Amelia's angst-ridden silence. The fourteen year old was relentless in her "punishment" of Emma for her so-called mistreatment despite the obvious physical signs of exhaustion present on the young woman's face.

The slimness of Emma's frame was not natural nor was the transparency of her pale skin. These attributes and more she had acquired during her time as Amelia's sole guardian at a mere age of 19. Yet, Emma pushed on determined not to let her body's physical weaknesses hinder her newfound role. This included enduring Amelia's silent anger in spite of its negative implications.

"We're here. Welcome to Forks." The cabbie stated, pulling into a parking space in front of several shops.

Emma was startled out of her thoughts at the cabbie's voice, but quickly realigned her focus. She exited the vehicle pulling out her wallet, "How much do I owe you?"

"That would be $80 Miss Danielson." The cabbie replied, standing expectantly outside of the vehicle. He was waiting patiently, but Emma knew the 2 ½ hour trip was tiring and lengthy for a cab driver.

Swiftly, she opened the wallet's clasp and felt inside for her thin, plastic credit card. Brushing her fingers over the numbers, she knew it was the correct one before she pulled it out.

It wasn't long after that Emma found herself and Amelia standing with their luggage on the street corner. Thankfully, the cabbie had the courtesy to drop them off before the small motel rather than at the beginning of the town. The pair stood there for a moment, unsure of their new surroundings. However, Amelia's willfulness got the best of her and she marched on in with determination, leaving Emma to trail behind confusedly.

"Amelia…Amelia wait!" The older sister called out. One had gripped the rolling suitcase's handle possessively while the other frantically swept a walking cane out in front. Emma tried her best to follow Amelia, but she had moved too quickly inside for her to follow.

In new places, the teenager had always been a patient guide, but the last year had changed that. Now Amelia was self-contained and far less willing to help her stumbling blind sister. It made things even harder for Emma to control because she couldn't even support herself let alone another person. She didn't blame Amelia for her anger, but she could hope she would soon set it aside to embrace what little family they had left in each other.

"AAAGH!"

Feet over head, Emma went flying across the lobby of the motel. She painfully hit the slick tile floor all along her back, successfully knocking the wind out of her. A groan escaped her as she lay there unabashed. After all these years, she was used to embarrassing incidents, but that didn't mean they were any less painful.

"Are you alright?!" A concerned male voice asked.

Emma turned her head towards him, "I'm ok. Could you please help me up?"

The man slowly eased her to sitting position and then to standing.

"I'm really sorry," He said, taking his hands off her arms, "I should probably put a sign up warning others of that nasty step," He gave a wan smile.

"Wouldn't have done me much good." Emma replied, straightening her dark sweater.

"What do you mean—_oh._" The man cut off. She knew that he had finally pieced together her startling blue eyes, the walking cane, and the fall.

"Yes, I am blind, but that does not mean I cannot rent a room." Emma stated, deftly maneuvering the conversation away from her condition.

"Right! A girl came in here a second ago claiming room 42. It was rented for two occupants so I'm assuming you are the second?"His voice suddenly professional.

Emma quirked a smile, "You checked in with a fourteen year old?"

"No no!" The man reassured her quickly. She could tell he was blushing from his hurried tone, "I sent her to the room, but I told her I could only check in with the credit card holder so I couldn't give her the room key."

"I see." Emma replied, feeling her momentary happiness fade. It was time to deal with the girl and she knew she wasn't going to like it.

A few minutes later, room key in hand, Emma counted each door she passed down the motel's hallways. 42 was tedious, she decided, as she came to a halt beside Amelia.

"Open the door." Amelia ordered.

She raised a thin eyebrow at the girl's commanding tone, but opened the door nonetheless. The teenager swiftly pulled her purple suitcase behind her into the small room, nearly running over Emma's sneakers. A talk was definitely needed, Emma thought.

The nineteen year old entered the room and felt her way to the unoccupied twin bed. Tiredly, she set down her luggage at its foot and sat down on the scratchy comforter. It was decent, Emma determined, as she ran her sensitive palms over the fabric.

A rapid succession of clicks alerted her ears to the sound of Amelia's texting. The speed of her responses reminded Emma of the girl's stubbornness to evade conversation. Wearily, she tried to get her attention,

"Amelia."

No response.

"_Amelia._"

No response.

"_Amelia Christine Danielson_. I need to speak with you and it cannot wait. Please put the phone down."

With an incensed shriek the teenager threw the phone at the bed pillows. A pair of furious blue eyes met Emma's unseeing ones.

"What the hell do you want? You made it clear at the airport that you didn't want me to speak anymore."

Emma felt her blood rising, but forced herself to remain calm and firm. It would do no good to yell now when Amelia was already attitudinal. She trained her eyes on Amelia's general vicinity.

"This has got to stop. Our fighting is only ripping apart the only family we have left and—don't turn away from me Amelia!" Emma commanded.

The teenager sat up and stared spitefully at her older sibling.

"You _know_ that we are it. There is no one else who can care for you or for me. I have to somehow provide for the two of us, not just now, but to put you through college even. I am trying so hard Lia," Emma's voice cracked slightly, "to not fall apart and leave you to fend for yourself. I need you to cut me some slack."

A pause. A shaky breath.

"I want to make this work, but if I fail, then you know what happens. It's the government for you and I am left to deal with the guilt. _Please_ do not force this to be any more difficult for either of us. We are starting over here in Forks," Emma gestured to the entire room," and I want this to be a refuge from the pain. Not a breeding ground," She said softly.

Amelia observed her carefully for a few moments, then replied, "I want you to know that it's hard for me too. I left behind _everyone _to live here in this stupid little town. Why can't you see that I am not to blame for all the bad things that have happened to us since Mom's death?"

Emma sucked in a breath, "I don't blame you for anything Lia. None of this was our fault; not our parents' deaths, not the money troubles, not the guardianship. _None of it. _But because of it, we have to grow up faster than everybody else."

"I don't _want_ to grow up faster. I'm just starting high school. Mom and Dad were supposed to be the strong ones. Not me!" Amelia cried.

"You've always been strong. Look at what you've done for me," Emma said softly, reminding her sister of every day of their lives since Emma's 8th birthday.

Tears pooled in Amelia's blue eyes, "That's because we're family. I can't do that with everyone."

"You haven't been doing it at all lately," Emma stated, "but you need to start again."

At that moment, both sisters connected on an intimate level they hadn't reached in over a year. It was a new start, rocky, but all the same, new.

"I will try harder, but I don't forgive you," Amelia determined. The tears had receded and in their place a resurgence of maturity.

"That's a start," Emma said gently.

As the fourteen year old turned back to her phone, albeit more leisurely, Emma's shoulders sagged with relief. If the teenager could begin anew, then perhaps, just perhaps, things might work out for the pair of them.


	3. Chapter 3: The Sighting

**A/N: Hello and welcome to my little fanfiction ****The Dilemma****! I've never written a fanfic before so this is a first for me. This next chapter will have some good character interaction and definitely lengthen things out. I know the first two were short but this should sate you for a little while. I'm hoping to update on a regular weekly basis to keep you all interested and make sure the chapters have a little more meat to them. You should expect to see more familiar characters introduced soon so don't worry! Things will start ramping up soon, but I'm starting off slow to keep things in check. I hate it when books or fanfics get rushed because they quickly become unbelievable. So bear with me and give this story a chance! No flames please but constructive criticism is appreciated.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. That is all.**

Chapter Three: The Sighting

"You worry too much, Bella. You're going to go prematurely gray."

-Alice Cullen

"Well, what do you think Lia?" Emma asked, turning in the mottled sunlight to face her younger sister. The girl squinted at the wood cabin as if trying to discover some hidden grandeur beneath its simple appearance,

"It's…nice. I guess," She replied.

Emma stared at the cabin for a moment, feeling a faint sense of doubt. Perhaps it was…too small or too plain. The cabin was certainly no beauty but it wasn't meant to house royalty. Original intent deemed practical temporary use, hunting, camping, the like…yet here they were trying to make a living out of it.

"I think Dad would have liked it," Amelia said quietly.

Her heart stopped. Throughout the transition to Forks, Emma had desperately avoided any reminders or connotations directly related to their parents. The most glaringly obvious had been the vast ecological paradise of wildlife and foliage that surrounded the small town. Nature had its roots deep in the daily life of the Forks town people, but Emma refused to acknowledge its presence.

Amelia's blunt remark brought all of Emma's memories of her father to the forefront of her mind sweeping her into a tidal wave of pain, loss, and overwhelming nostalgia. This was exactly what Emma had tried not to do: become so enshrouded in emotion that everything seemed to lose its importance. Emma knew that when she surrendered to her feelings, she could not rationally place her priorities in order. It was a weakness she could not afford to have as every decision meant the fate of their tiny family rested in her compromised mind.

And yet, Emma could not help but think fondly back to the evenings when her father used to take her outside to look at the stars.

_"You have never seen anything so beautiful until you gaze at the stars darling." Emma felt her father's warm voice curl around her protectively as together they stared up at the cold night sky. Every star seemed to wink in and out of existence like fireflies, never truly beginning nor ending. It made Emma feel like she could reach out and grasp at the whole world. Limitless._

_ "Nature takes care of its own, Emma," Her father taught, "It will never abandon you. Everything begins from the same stars that we look at tonight and ends on those same stars. We are all stardust Emma, never forget that." _

Oh this would have been ecstasy for Dad, she thought smiling. He never could keep away from the outdoors for long and to live in it like this…as a family…that would have been his dream.

"Yes I think he very much would have." Emma replied softly.

The two sisters shared a small smile before kicking into action. Their decision to close on the cabin spurred an excitement and desire to move in as quickly as possible. It was the physical landmark of a new beginning and they were desperate to have it.

Inside the little cabin, the girls began to move around the furniture to their liking. It had been a bonus from the previous owner to receive the old furniture along with the sale of the cabin. Emma was grateful for this small blessing as she had to sell most of her family's belongings to stay afloat over the last few months. There was certainly no spare change to buy any of it again.

Most of the money Emma had generated for the family came directly out of her small college fund put together by her parents when she was small. However, that had soon run out and only her earnings as a waitress kept them going. The pay managed to cover utilities and small necessities but it came with the cost of long arduous hours. Consequently, Amelia was left to her own devices outside of school, struggling in that time to find some sense of normalcy. Emma's absence left an all too raw wound of abandonment on the little sister, but the bills had to be paid. This routine increased Amelia's ire towards her sister further splitting their relationship. She had no one to turn to now and could not understand why Emma didn't just return things to the way they were.

This cycle of anger repeated on and on for months. Emma would work till she was too exhausted to continue, then face Amelia's resentment when she returned home. Neither of them understood the consequences of their actions nor did they realize their troubles were far from over. This naiveté only made their mother's passing another anchor to drag them further into the darkness of their depressions.

And yet, as Emma now sat with phone in hand to affirm the sale of the cabin, she was attempting to release herself from those anchors,

"Amelia! It's done!" She called out from the bedroom in which she stood. Emma put the cell-phone back into her jean pocket moving closer to the window overlooking the forest. The trees below were a mix of deciduous and pine creating a variegation of green spreading out to far off mountains enshrouded in mist. She pressed her hand to the cold glass wishing she could see the forest she knew to be out there.

"Whatcha doing?" Amelia asked, coming to stand beside her sister.

"I'm trying to imagine how beautiful it must be out there."

"Well, it's a huge forest meeting up with mountains that disappear into the clouds. The ocean fog has rolled in to the mountains and the trees. You can't even see some patches because it's so dense."

Emma felt her lips curl up into a smile. The young woman felt her interest piqued at the vast amount of land to explore. Seattle's Fort Lewis had hardly been a national park thus cutting off Emma's fond pastimes of hikes and runs through the outdoors. A wonderful idea formed in her mind, "Let's go explore it."

"But Emma, it's cold out there," Amelia whined, "June is supposed to be hot and sunny, not Antarctica!" She always had a flair for the dramatic; something which was exacerbated by her love of books. Every now and then the teenager would burst into a long soliloquy about some deep existential topic that she had found in one of her books. Most of the time, Amelia did not even understand what she was saying, but Emma humored her speeches.

However, Amelia did not have the same patience as Emma had with her. She always made it clear that she did not share the same love that their father and older sister had of the outdoors. It was something Emma learned to brush off just as easily as rainwater.

"It's just brisk. Grab a sweater," Emma replied, dismissing the younger girl's excuses, "I want to feel what's out there."

Not two minutes later, the pair emerged from the cabin bundled in thick peacoats headed into the forest. Emma swept her walking stick out in front of her rhythmically, not wasting a beat on hesitation or caution. Her free hand stuck out close to her body feeling every tree or bush she wandered near. The wet droplets that clung to the dense foliage exhilarated Emma sending shivers down her spine with their coldness.

Amelia followed close behind having a far more difficult time stumbling over rocks and stray branches. A small frown marred her face as her shoes slipped and stuck in mud and the trees dropped fat splashes of water on her head. To her, it seemed as if the environment was on a mission to make her life miserable while it strove to appease Emma.

Emma gracefully glided through the forest despite the unknown territory. She couldn't help but feel far more at ease under the rainy canopy than in any manmade structure. Even the chilling air which filled her lungs was just as intoxicating as an addictive substance. Nature in all seasons made her feel alive and brimming with energy. Sometimes, just for a short while, Emma could forget about her blindness and just partake in all the sensations that barreled at her from the outside. She knew that Amelia could never understand this passion, but hoped that she could understand how it made her feel.

"_Emma! Look!_" Amelia shouted, far off to Emma's left.

Her head whipped around to locate her sister, determining she was just a few hundred feet over the ridge. Nimbly, Emma stepped up and over the ridge and into a small clearing.

"Come here! It's beautiful! There are wildflowers everywhere."

Emma felt instant warmth wash over her cold skin as she ventured farther away from the dark shelter of the trees. Something fragile and soft brushed gently across her jean-covered legs, causing her to bend down to discover what it was. Her face broke into a wide smile as her pale fingers caressed the blooms of hundreds of wildflowers. The sun's rays had created a small patch of summer that encouraged every dormant plant to blossom.

"Now you know why I wanted to come out here." Emma said, taking a seat amongst them.

Amelia scoffed, "You couldn't have possibly known this was here." Emma heard the young teenager make her way to where she sat, mimicking her position across from her.

"No I didn't," Emma admitted, "but there are always small treasures such as this when you have large unpopulated areas. That is why I love exploring what every new place has to offer. You never know what you might find amongst the ordinary."

Amelia harrumphed before falling backwards onto the bed of wildflowers. Knowing she wasn't going to get much more of a conversation out of her, Emma laid down herself. In contented silence, the two sisters allowed the sunshine to take the chill and sorrow away as they laid there in the small paradise.

Then, interrupting the quiet rambling of birds, Amelia spoke, "You seem different out here."

"How so?"

She paused.

"You've got this…glow about you. You seem calmer, more at peace. At home you were always so tense and focused that I thought your eyeballs were going to fall out of your head." She stated bluntly.

"I see." Emma didn't really know how to reply to that. It was natural and logical to her to channel all of her available resources to fulfilling a need. At the time, it was replacing the loss of an authority figure in order to take care of Amelia. The other adults in their small extended family were either too young or too old to take in children. Their own resources were exhausted and therefore it was up to Emma to receive legal guardianship of Amelia.

Young and inexperienced, Emma couldn't afford to make mistakes. One wrong slip and the world collapsed not just for her, but for Amelia as well. It would have been devastating to Emma if she took her younger sister down with her. As such, desires and wants were pushed aside for a more pressing priority: to create a stable home-life for Amelia.

That was how they came to Forks. Fort Lewis was no longer available to them as a residence and the opportunities were limited. Forks was able to provide a safe, sheltered environment whilst being cheap and prosperous. Emma did not waste time and immediately found a house in which they could live till Amelia was of college age. In another weeks' time, they had packed up and hitched a cab to the secluded town.

"Emma. Get up."

Emma sat up and frowned, "What's wrong Amelia? I thought you were enjoying—"

"Shut up. Listen. "

Amelia's firm tone silenced Emma, the forest suddenly becoming foreboding. Taking a deep breath, Emma focused on her hearing, relying on her heightened senses to figure out the mysterious noise.

_Crack._ Emma turned swiftly to her right, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Time had slowed down and the once tranquil clearing seemed to become too exposed and vulnerable. Her pulse picked up as the unidentified noisemaker moved slowly through the trees, picking its way through the underbrush.

"Oh my god…"Amelia breathed.

Emma could feel a pair of eyes staring at them from the tree-line. At that moment, she wished nothing more than to have sight. She wanted to be able to see the intruder of their safe haven.

Sitting incredibly still, she asked Amelia, "What is it?"

"A wolf."

The need to protect was overwhelming, but Emma found herself panicking instead. Blind as she was, she would be of no use to Amelia if the animal decided to attack. In her haze of emotion, she decided instantly that she would distract the wolf while Amelia ran. Strangely, she didn't mind dying, only fearing that her sister wouldn't make it out alive.

"Amelia, when I tell you to run, I want you to do it. Got it?" Emma whispered.

"I got it," The teenager said shakily.

"What is it doing now?"

"It's…running away. Towards the center of the forest."

Emma felt her breath leave her body. The relief was immense and she slumped back into the embrace of the wildflowers.

"Are you sure you want to find more of the 'small treasures' this place has to offer?" Amelia asked sarcastically.

"Shut up." Emma replied.

Despite the wolf's strange and frightening appearance, Emma was starting to enjoy Forks. She just needed to be a bit more careful on encountering its wildlife.

XXXX

"Here ya girls go: one cheeseburger and one country-fried steak. Do you need a refill?" The older waitress pointedly asked Emma as she sat down the two plates piled high with food.

"No thanks. Just a check please," Emma replied, hungry after a long morning's worth of work. For the last few days the girls had taken many trips back and forth from the hardware store to gather supplies for the cabin. Despite its decent outward appearance, many parts of the cabin were in need of a good repair. Luckily, Emma's father had striven to teach his eldest daughter the handyman's way around a house; she wasn't uneducated in DIY home repair despite her disability.

This particular morning the girls had worked hard to fix the leaks in the roof. Amelia had discovered them one evening in bed when a thunderstorm had broken over Forks. She ran shrieking from the upstairs to the downstairs soaking wet. In a new pair of pajamas, the teenager had slept on the sofa while Emma struggled to move the bed and contain the leak. There were many leaks all throughout the house though most were small. Emma was able to repair them, but she knew a new roof would be needed in the future.

In order to reward their hard work, Emma had taken Amelia out to lunch. Eating out was unheard of in their childhood so this was definitely a treat.

"So, what's next?" Amelia asked her, biting into her cheeseburger.

"I think we are good to go on the weather damaged portions of the cabin," Emma said thoughtfully, "but you said that some rooms needed a decent coat of paint. I can fix things I can feel, but I can't see the paint job. Either you have to do it or we need a professional."

Emma bit her lip thinking on the matter. On one hand, if they were to move ever, the paint job was needed. On the other hand, it would cost a lot more money than they had to spend to do it. As she mulled the situation over, a voice broke into her thoughts,

"Well I haven't seen you two around here!" A man said boisterously, breaking into a large smile. He rolled up to the sisters' table in a wheelchair, holding out a hand for Emma to shake.

Emma was startled out of her thoughts by the man's voice. She could feel the close presence of a hand and quickly deduced his hand was held out for her to shake. Smiling wide, she shook the hand and said, "I'm Emma Danielson and this is my younger sister Amelia. We're from Fort Lewis. We just moved here a few days ago."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. We don't get many new residents up here. What brings you to Forks?" He asked kindly. Emma knew his question was harmless, but she felt a sinking feeling in her gut. She struggled to come up with an answer, "Uh…you see…my sister and I are actually living with an uncle! He's just…gone…for a month or two…on vacation…with his girlfriend…"

The man's silence at her response implied that he did not believe it and Emma winced. The lie was bad. Very bad. She could only hope that he would not notice her blindness. At this point, she didn't want to go around telling their life story. She knew in a small town such as this that news would travel fast. It would only be a matter of time however, before people discovered the strange and tragic situation of the two girls. Till then, Emma wanted to keep their private lives just that—private.

The man shrugged and sighed audibly causing Emma's shoulders to slump in relief.

"Well I hope to meet your uncle at some point. Anyway, I forgot to introduce myself I'm Billy Black," He tipped his black Stetson to the sisters, "I live on the Reservation with the rest of my tribe. I try to make it my interest though to welcome and get to know the new denizens of the area."

"So you're a Native American?" Amelia asked bluntly. Internally gasping, Emma kicked her sister in the shin, hard. The younger girl's eyes widened and she quickly tried to back-pedal on her question,

"Oh my gosh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be rude…"She babbled.

Billy chuckled and waved away her panic, "Don't worry. I'm surprised you didn't ask sooner. I've grown used to peoples' interest in my heritage," He then paused before asking, "Do you like legends?"

Amelia nodded, her green eyes wide and curious.

"Well, I'll tell you a short one since you are new to Forks. Over time, you'll come to know more about our Quileute reservation and our customs, but for now I'll give you an introduction," Billy leaned in to the table so only the three of them could hear,

"The Quileute tribe is one of an ancient bloodline. Magic is said to be in their blood for they are the first of all the tribes to have the ability to shift from human to wolf," Billy whispered, "Those in the tribe that could do so were called Spirit Warriors. In the beginning, it was Spirit Chief Taha Aki who would ask to share a wolf's body in order to take on the form. But then! Every male descendent of the Spirit Man discovered that they could transform into a wolf on will with the spirit of the man inside. It created a sole pack of young men to protect the tribe from any invaders and the Quileute tribe prospered with their newfound guardians."

Emma found herself in wonder at the amount of passion in Billy's legend. It seemed so strange, yet compelling, to hear the rich history of the Quileute people. Part of her wanted to ask for more, but she knew that Native American tribes were protective of their traditions and culture. Billy effectively diverted the rest of the conversation away from the tribe to Forks and cemented Emma's observation that there would be no more talk of wolves or shapeshifters. However, the large grey wolf from days before lingered in Emma's mind. She couldn't help but wonder if Billy knew about the local wolf populations. Perhaps he would be the one to shed some light on the situation since his tribe was so connected to the animals.

"Mr. Black, I was wondering if you know of the frequency of wolves in this area?" Emma asked, switching the topic of his and Amelia's conversation about Forks.

Billy paused before saying carefully, "I know there are some, but they do not bother the people. Why do you ask?"

Emma shrugged, wanting to play it as casual as possible. She knew it would be difficult to get the information out of the man since he seemed so protective of anything to do with either the animals or his tribe. Rightfully so, she thought, but she wanted to make sure that Amelia was in no further danger.

"We saw one the other day. I just want to make sure the area is safe for Amelia and I. I don't want her wandering around the woods if they are." Emma made sure to put the emphasis on safety. She knew her eyes wouldn't convey the conviction she needed to convince this man to open up with her blindness. As such, she needed her words to be enough.

"I wouldn't be going around the woods very much girls," Billy said sternly, "There are wild animals, such as wolves," He admitted, "that could do you a good deal of harm. Stay out and keep close to the town, understand?"

The earnest "yes!" from Amelia signaled Emma that the younger girl had no qualms about taking the older man's advice. It wasn't surprising considering the man's firm tone and warm presence reminded Emma of their father despite her suspicions that the wolves were more rampant than he suggested.

Emma nodded her affirmation slowly, knowing she wasn't completely unsuccessful in her question. It still bothered her though, that Billy wouldn't elaborate more on the wolves in the area. For some unknown reason, she felt this nagging feeling that he was hiding something about them. Perhaps the reason was because there had been attacks in the area and he didn't want to scare them off. Maybe they really _don't_ get new people in this town, Emma thought. Her fears lingered.

A quick parting with Billy and the girls were left alone once more. Emma sighed in relief; she could think more constructively about the wolf situation now that he was gone. But then, she couldn't shake her mind off of the strange Native American man. The impromptu meeting, the unprovoked storytelling, the dance around her question…it did not add up nor did Amelia's eager friendliness. Awkwardness had not been truly a part of their conversation and Emma couldn't understand why. Amelia had gravitated towards Billy like a moth to a flame; she did not hang back in the shadows like she was prone to after their parents' deaths. Emma knew it was more than just Billy's similarity to their father.

So strange, Emma thought while eating her steak. I'm probably just overreacting, but I feel like there is something wrong about this….

She shook her head and focused on the meal. It would do no good to overanalyze the event and forget about Amelia. The girl was left alone enough as it was.


End file.
